Litani River Authority and the Lebanon RESRP Project – LRA Component Overview

The Litani River is the longest river in Lebanon, stretching over a length of 170 kilometers. With an annual discharge capacity of approximately 750 million cubic meters, it plays a critical role in Lebanon’s water and energy sectors. Originating at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level in the Bekaa Valley (northeastern Lebanon), the river flows southward before turning westward to empty into the Mediterranean Sea, about 8 kilometers north of Tyre.

Litani River Authority (LRA)

The Litani River Authority (LRA) is responsible for the management, operation, and development of the river’s water resources. Key infrastructure under LRA’s management includes:

• Qaraoun Dam
• A cascade of three downstream hydroelectric power plants (HPPs):
  • Markabi HPP
  • Awali HPP
  • Joun HPP

These hydropower plants have an installed capacity of 192 MW, and were originally commissioned between 1962 and 1968. Due to their age, much of the equipment has become obsolete, creating a pressing need for rehabilitation and modernization to ensure sustainable power generation.

Lebanon RESRP – Project Background

To address these challenges, the World Bank (IBRD) has approved a loan to finance the Lebanon Renewable Energy and System Reinforcement Project (Lebanon RESRP – Project ID: P180501).

This dual-component project aims to support both:

• Electricité du Liban (EDL) – strengthening the national power grid, and
• Litani River Authority (LRA) – upgrading hydropower infrastructure.

LRA Component – Key Tasks

Under the Lebanon RESRP, the LRA will undertake a set of specific tasks aimed at modernizing the existing hydropower system. These include:

1. Sub-component 2.2: Rehabilitation of LRA HPPs and Strengthening of Dam Safety

This sub-component will finance rehabilitation and replacement of key electricity generation equipment as well as monitoring and control systems at Joun, Awali, Markabi HPP as well as measures to strengthen the safety of Qaraoun dam. The works will specifically include the following:

1. Joun HPP:

(a) Replacement of turbine inlet valve for Unit No. 2 and rehabilitation of the inlet valve for Unit No. 1;

(b) Replacement of the main seal of safety valve (Head Valve);

(c) Replacement of the speed governors and Actuators for both units, including supply of spare parts;

(d) Replacement of three auxiliaries voltage transformers in the switchyard.

2. Awali HPP:

(a) Renewal of the electric cabinet for the safety valve;

(b) Overhaul of turbines injectors for three units;

(c) Overhaul of turbines inlet valves for three units

(d) Replacement of speed governors and Actuators for three units, as well as supply of spare parts;

(e) Rehabilitation of excitation system and voltage regulators for all three units;

(f) Replacement of protection systems for three Alternators, and three 11/66Kv Transformers (45MVA each) and 6 transmission lines 66KV

(g) Replacement of control, and SCADA systems for the entire plant and substation.

3. Markabi HPP:

(a) Replacement of the speed governors and Actuators for both units, including supply of spare parts;

(b) Replacement of SCADA system of the whole power plant and substation;

(c) Replacement of protection systems for three transmission lines 66 KV;

(d) Replacement of triphase disconnectors for 66KV substation.

4. Dam safety improvement:

(a) Supply and installation of monitoring instrumentation for the Qaraoun dam;

(b) Maintenance of valves.

2. Sub-component 3.2: Project Implementation Support, Technical Studies for LRA, and Dam Safety Panel of Experts

This sub-component will finance:

(a) Owner’s Engineer for LRA;

(b) Tier 2 dam safety assessment (as per requirements of ESF) for Qaraoun, Anan Lake, and Joun Lake dams; bathymetric study of the reservoir to estimate sedimentation and actual reservoir capacity; dam break and flood propagation study; and other technical, economic, financial and other studies that may be required during implementation of the Project;

(c) Preparation of the instrumentation plan, update of O&M plan, update of Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP);

(d) The dam safety panel of experts (DSPOE) to be comprised by qualified experts in specific technical fields related to hydropower;

(e) Capacity building for LRA on technical, contract management, and dam safety aspects of hydropower.